Convertible day coach and sleeper



J. W. COViNGTON. CONVERTIBLE DAY COACH AND SLEEPER.

Patentei May 30, 1922.

.IN! N T OR.

'fi A TTORN Y APPLICATION FILED AUG-6.1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONVERTIBLE DAY COACH AND SLEEPER.

Application filed August 6, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Join? W. a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Day Coaches and Sleepers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

is invention relates to mechanism, whereby a day coach may be easily and quickly converted into a sleeping car, thereby utilizing a greater amount of space than is possible in the regulation sleeping cars, and permitting the adaptation and utilization of the many thousands of day coaches for night runs.

The main object of the present invention Covmc'ron is the provision of a simple, durable and inexpenslve mechanism, where tiers of two beds or cots may be properly mounted to be carried adjacent the ceiling of the car when not in use, but which can be quickly lowered to present a series of upper and lower berths upon each side of the car throughout the length thereof.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a cross section through one side of a day coach, showing the present mechanism in end elevation, full lines showing the berths lowered into position for use, and dotted lines showing them out of use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of the berth controlling windlass.

Figure 3 is a top view of one of the sliding supports for av berth, and

Figure 1 is a similarview form.

Referring to the drawings, A the roof, B the inner face of the wall, and C the outer face of the wall of a day coach. The seat D is of usual construction, provided with the supporting aisle leg G, mounted upon the floor I of the car, and which carries the seat frame E, and the handle or arm F.

The present berth mechanism consists of the inner supporting members 18, two to each pair of berths 1 and 2, and these members 18 are made from tubular metal rods, with the attaching members 19 bolted to the side wall of the ear. Carried by the two rear corners of the upper berth frame 1 are the rod engaging plates 3, each of which is constructed as clearly shown in Figure 3, being rivetted to the angle memof another designates Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1922. Serial No. 248,593.

.rod engaging plate line positions of F igure 1.

he berth 2 is provided with a folding leg 1. 1 upon the aisle side, and where the seat backs are removable, the lower berth is made to assume a. position 27%} inches above the floor.

To raise and lower the berths the cables 12 and 23 are provided, the former being attached to the plate 4 and passed through and opening in the plate duced (ha-metered portion 6 of the controlling Windlass 7, which is mounted fixedly upon the longitudinal shaft 17, mounted in the brackets 16, connected as at 15 to the ceiling or roof A. The cable 23 is attached to be wound upon'or released from the enlarged portion 5 of the windlass 7. There are two pairs of cables and two Windlasses 7 to each two berths, but the cable 23 in no way controls the upper berth 1, whose aisle end is supported by the chains 28, one being here shown, attached at their upper ends to the brackets 16.

Attached fixedly to the shaft 17, is a gear 8, driven by the worm 9, which in turn is operated by the rod or shaft 10, carrying the operating hand wheel 11.

It will thus be seen that by revolving the shaft 17, the lower berth 2 will be first elevated and will finally raise the upper berth, and due to the fact that the double diametered windlasses 7 are employed the aisle side of the lower berth will be raised more rapidly to permit the berths to assume the dotted line position of Figure 1.

It is also possible to make the lower berths and the upper berths the full length of the car, so that when the shaft 17 is operated the complete set on each side of car is moved to the desired position for receiving the beds.

For ambulance cars, a knock down frame is built with tracks on the aisle side to permit the slipping of the beds into position, such beds being supplied with rollers, so that the patient and bed can be easily carried about.

By the use of this device, a day coach can be easily converted into a sleeper and due to this arrangement an ordinary car can be made to accommodate from 108 to 180 men, making this arrangement especially desirable for the transport of troops.

What I claim, as new, is:

1. The combination. with a supporting structure, of a berth mechanism, including vertical supports, a plurality of berth frames, means for slidably connecting the rear edges thereof to the vertical supports, and a raising and lowering mechanism, for moving the berths simultaneously into and out of operative position the movement of the aisle edges being more rapid than the rear-edges.

2. The combination with a day coach, of a mechanism for converting the same into a sleeper, including a plurality of vertical supports connected to each side of the coach, a plurality of superposed berth frames having their rear edges slidably and tiltably mounted upon the vertical supports, a shaft mounted longitudinally of the coach adjacent the roof thereof, means for rotating the shaft, and means connected to the shaft and frames whereby the aisle ends of the frames are supported and the frames are raised or lowered by revolving the shaft.

3. The combination with a day coach, of a mechanism for converting same into a sleeper, including a plurality of vertical supports attached to each side wall of the car, two berth frames having their wall edges slidably and tiltably connected to the vertical supports, said berth frames being superposed, two pairs of cables attached to the lower berth frame, a shaft mounted longitudinally of the coach, means for rotating said shaft, and two double diametered windlasses fast to said shaft for engaging said cables to cause the aisle ends of the berth frames to move more rapidly than the rear ends when said berth frames are being raised or lowered.

4. The combination with a supporting structure, of a bed mechanism including a plurality of parallel supports mounted within the structure, a plurality of super-. posed berth frames having their rear ends slidably and tiltably mounted upon the supports, a shaft mounted longitudinally of the supporting structure, means for rotating the shaft, and means connected to the shaft and to the berth frames, whereby the berth frames are moved slidably upon the vertical support and the'free ends are supported.

5. The combination with a supporting structure, of a bed mechanism including a plurality of parallel supports mounted within the structure, a plurality of superposed berth frames having their rear ends slidably mounted upon the supports, a shaft mounted longitudinally of the supporting structure, means for rotating the shaft, and means connected to theshaft and to the berth frames, whereby the berth frames aremoved slidably upon the vertical support, the aisle edges'of the berth frames being adapted to be moved more rapidly during the ascent or descent than the edges connected to the supports.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN W. COVINGTON. 

